He nurtures a treasure Loofah plant grows in Mishawaka garden

September 26, 2006|LAUREEN FAGAN Tribune Staff Writer

Willie Wilemon of Mishawaka used to have a much larger garden, he said. "Now, I just put out about six tomato plants and six green peppers," he said. "That's about all I can do anymore," the 84-year-old Wilemon explained. Well, not quite. There's still a small grape arbor. And the, uh, loofah. Along the southern fence, climbing high above the roof on an old antenna tower, are dozens of the loofah on vines. Most people know the plant as a natural sponge, sold at cosmetic counters or in upscale bath boutiques. But few people think about how or where the loofah grow. "My sister raised some down in Mississippi, and she gave me the seed, so I just thought I'd try it," Wilemon said. The sister, Virginia Dobbs of Tupelo, had been successful growing the unusual plant. "I never bumped into anybody who actually'd seen 'em grow," Wilemon explained. But they do, growing much like a zucchini or summer squash plant does on the vine. "When my neighbor saw them get about eight inches long, she said, 'Man, those are ready to eat,'æ" he chuckled. Not exactly. But when one peels off the hull, scrapes the seed out and washes it, the loofah is ready for a back rub. "That's quite a job, doing that," Wilemon said. But the natural sponges are worth it. "You get it wet, it's real soft," Wilemon explained, his hand rubbing the loofah fiber. Once, he said, he went to his doctor and the two talked about loofah. He gave one of his homegrown sponges to his physician, who said he'd been telling patients about them for years but never knew what they were or where they grew. In Wilemon's case, where they grow is kind of comical. The antenna tower on the southeast corner of his house has loofah hanging from the trellis-like structure, high above the roof and the garden. He's not surprised, though. "I read in a book after I planted them (that), in India? "They've been known to grow 18 feet high." At least.Staff writer Laureen Fagan: lfagan@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6344